All the hype these days is getting people thinking “green” — but don’t be so quick to forget about the other color covering more than 70 percent of our planet: blue. Oceans help to regulate the Earth’s temperature and climate, as well as constantly cycle important nutrients through the biosphere. Our vast mass of water contains the resources we rely on to survive and thrive, but escalating global warming suggests that we may not stay very lucky for very long. Today, we celebrate all that the salty blue stuff does for us on the very first World Oceans Day.
World Oceans Day was first proposed by Canada on June 8, 1992, and every year since then it has been celebrated unofficially. This year, the World Ocean Network along with the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission worked with UN Environment Programme officials to officially make June 8, 2009, the world’s first ever World Oceans Day. The green holiday is an opportunity for the public to get involved in protecting our oceans through community involvement such as beach cleanups, educational programs, art contests, film festivals, and sustainable seafood events. With over 200 organizations participating in more than 50 countries, World Oceans Day serves to honor the oceans, celebrate the products and services we get from them, and allow us to take the time to appreciate their awesome value.
Humans have relied on oceans for all existence: nomadic people harvested fish and shellfish long before the invention of settled agriculture; great civilizations discovered the round world by sailing the seas; and today’s generations still heavily rely on the oceans for food, shipping, and coastal tourism. But in today’s world, our anthropogenic activities are taking a massive toll on the seas. Pollution and illegal fishing practices are destroying fragile marine ecosystems, and rising sea levels, acidification, and increased water temperatures threaten marine life further.
The UN’s slogan, “Our Oceans, Our Responsibility” and the day’s unofficial slogan, “One Ocean, One Climate, One Future” demonstrate that it is each person’s duty to contribute to making our oceans healthier. This effort may only breach the tip of the iceberg, but promoting environmental awareness is a big step in curing the planet’s spreading fever and the best way to get everyone involved. And on a nice day like today, what better excuse is there to get out to the beach?
